On a recent November afternoon, a group of Methodist College students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program participated in a service learning project at Heddington Oaks, a skilled nursing center in Peoria. The group of 28 students spent an afternoon interacting and engaging with residents of the center, working with some of the higher functioning residents to provide game activities, used therapy dogs to interact with the residents, and discovered their own way to engage with the individuals.
Methodist College nursing faculty Lisa Preston and Shelley Riney, and counselor Deb Disney developed the service learning opportunity as part of a course in the Doctor of Education in Health Professions Education program at Allen College in which the three are enrolled. In addition, since Methodist College will be implementing a service learning requirement for graduation beginning with the fall 2017 semester, Preston and Riney, along with adjunct nursing instructor Suzanna Kyulule, wanted to incorporate the project into courses they are teaching.
(Left to right) Deb Disney, MC Counselor; Shelley Riney, MC Nursing Faculty; Lisa Preston, MC Nursing Faculty
According to Learn and Serve America National Service Learning Clearinghouse, service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities
“At Methodist College we value the importance of giving back to the community and receiving an education at the same time,” said Preston. “Through projects such as the visit to Heddington Oaks, students will develop future academic and career goals, empathy in working with patients, and develop a practice in community service which will make them more attractive to future employers.”
The project had three major outcomes for the students: to describe how the service learning experience changed their perception of caring in the older adult population as a nurse; to display an awareness of the needs in the community and make a personal connection; and to relate and reflect on how this service learning experience demonstrated how an act of caring could positively impact the emotional well-being of the older adult in the long-term care facility environment.
Students spent time with Heddington Oaks resident, Barry Donald
During the visit to Heddington Oaks, Preston says students reported at first that they were timid with the patients but through the games they were able to relax and open up, and stretch themselves to engage in a personal way with at least one resident. The afternoon resulted in several positive experiences: one student played the violin and engaged a patient on the special care dementia unit who was non-verbal; the use of therapeutic touch and hand massages by another student engaged a resident to have fluent conversation in English, even though they normally only spoke a few words of German; and one male student was the last to leave the floor because five of the female residents kept him busy playing a card game and chatting!
Methodist College counselor Deb Disney scheduled four therapy dogs to engage with the residents, allowing less experienced students the ability to bridge the presence of the dogs into valuable engagement opportunities.
Therapy dog Murphy was one of several therapy dogs who participated in the service learning project.
“Many students expressed how nice it was to not have such strict mandates over the expectations and how they were able to just relate and interact with the residents,” said Preston. “They loved how they could just be themselves and grow and stretch in an unfamiliar situation at first, and then feel engaged and part of a group of new friends in just an hour and a half.”
In addition, students distributed 50 donated blankets to residents. This gave many students a reason to go room to room talking to clients and offering them a blanket, added Preston.
Students and their instructors spend some reflection time at the end of the afternoon.
“This was an enjoyable experience for the students and their reflection statements support a sense of social responsibility,” said Riney. “The nursing course I teach does not normally include a hands-on component and the use of service learning enabled these students who are eager to engage to do so.”
“My heart is full (from this experience) and I know both the students and residents benefited,” added Preston.